Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

UCI launches formal investigation into alleged Vinokourov and Kolobnev bribe

Governing body says Katusha and Astana's licences could be reviewed depending on outcome of probe...

The UCI has revealed that it has opened a formal investigation into the alleged fixing of the 2010 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, won by Astana’s Alexandre Vinokourov from Alexandr Kolobnev of Katusha. It adds that depending on the results of its inquiries, the licences of both teams could be reviewed.

Allegations that Vinokourov had promised breakaway partner Kolobnev €150,000 to go easy ahead in the finale had circulated since being published in a Swiss magazine in late 2010, but the UCI says it is only able to take action now as a result of being passed information by Italian authorities involved in the Padua investigation.

In a statement released yesterday evening, the governing body said:

The UCI confirms that last week it received a partial dossier from the Padua Prosecutors office containing information concerning the victory of Alexandr Vinokourov in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic in April 2010.
The UCI takes these issues extremely seriously. The UCI has been requesting information concerning related media allegations since December 2011, when they were first raised by the Swiss magazine L'Illustré. To date, the information provided to the UCI has not been sufficient to take legal action.

Now, in the light of this additional information gathered as part of the Padua inquiry, the UCI will open an official inquiry into the issue. If this inquiry reveals any team involvement, the UCI may also, in accordance with the rules, ask the Licence Commission to re-evaluate the awarding of UCI licences to Team Astana and Team Katusha.

In the meantime, the UCI will request Alexandr Vinokourov and Alexandr Kolobnev to attend a meeting at its headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, as soon as possible to provide the UCI with their response to the contents of the Padua inquiry dossier.

The UCI is committed to examining all issues arising from the Padua investigation in a constructive and transparent manner in order to safeguard the integrity of the sport of cycling.

No specific timescale has been set for the UCI’s investigation to be conducted, but with the registration process for WorldTour and Professional Continental teams due to be concluded later this month, time is clearly pressing.

Vinokourov, banned for two years after failing a test for an illegal blood transfusion during the 2007 Tour de France, retired shortly after winning the Olympic road race in London this summer and has moved into a management role with the Kazakh-registered team.

Kolobnev himself failed a doping control at the 2011 Tour de France and was fined but not banned by the Russian cycling federation, a decision subsequently upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport when it rejected an appeal by the UCI, which wanted a two-year ban.

Responding to the UCI’s statement, Katusha’s general manager Viatcheslav Ekimov said that the Russian team “is aware of the situation concerning Vinokourov – Kolobnev’s case. In this situation our Team will accurately obey all laws and regulations of the UCI.”
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
Lungsofa74yearold | 11 years ago
0 likes

Good - I hope they take away the Olympic road race gold medal too whilst they are at it. Vino is definitely up there with Bertie & LA in my pantheon of most hated.  14

Avatar
Hilltown_Ian | 11 years ago
0 likes

While the're at it they should take a look at what happened in the Olympic road race... "Ok Vino, £100k and its yours.. I'll subtly look the wrong way and you attack me on the other side.. No one will suspect a thing..."

Avatar
minnellium | 11 years ago
0 likes

I know I didn't enter or anything, but I can see a big cycling victory from the past like this eventually coming my way, if they keep DQing all the field one by one.

Avatar
gbzpto | 11 years ago
0 likes

pro cycling really is a mess at the moment !

Avatar
WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
0 likes

Looking at the records Valverde was stripped of third place after his doping ban - so the winner of the 2010 Bastogne-Leige-Bastogne is now Phil Gil?  39

Avatar
notfastenough | 11 years ago
0 likes

+1

Avatar
Sam1 | 11 years ago
0 likes

'Responding to the UCI’s statement, Katusha’s general manager Viatcheslav Ekimov said that the Russian team “is aware of the situation concerning Vinokourov – Kolobnev’s case. In this situation our Team will accurately obey all laws and regulations of the UCI'

Oh, the irony, Ekimov....

Latest Comments